This invention relates to a portable electronic ventilation apparatus such as a notebook-type portable computer and, more particularly, it relates to a portable electronic ventilation apparatus wherein a pack shaped device is detachably fitted to the housing of the apparatus.
While known portable computers are mostly designed to deal with characters and graphics, there is a demand for portable computers designed to adapt itself to a so-called multi-media environment and capable of dealing with animated pictures and real sounds including human voices in addition to characters and graphics. Since the volume of data that should be processed by such a portable computer to deal with animated pictures and real sounds is enormous if compared with a predecessor computer designed to simply deal with characters and graphics, it typically utilizes optical discs capable of storing a large volume of data. Thus, portable computers equipped with a CD-ROM drive unit for reading data from optical discs have been marketed.
Additionally, efforts have been made to produce portable computers having a down-sized and lightweight housing. For example, notebook-type personal computers having a B5 standard size smaller than those having an A4 standard size are currently getting an ever-increasing popularity.
On the other hand, due to the trend toward down-sized and lightweight housings, it is no longer possible for such a small housing to contain both a CD-ROM drive unit and a floppy disc drive unit at the same time. In an attempt to cope with this situation, there have been marketed portable computers adapted to selectively store a CD-ROM drive unit or a floppy disc drive unit in a housing. Such a housing of a portable computer is typically provided with a removable battery pack, a display unit, a keyboard, various connectors and slots.
A portable computer of the type under consideration typically comprises a pack storing section for selectively storing the CD-ROM drive unit or the floppy disc drive unit and a battery storing section for storing a battery pack, and each of the storing sections is normally open to the bottom and some of the lateral sides of the housing. When the CD-ROM drive unit or the floppy disc drive unit and the battery pack are stored in the storing sections of the housing, they serve as part of the bottom and also as part of the lateral sides of the housing.
Meanwhile, as portable computers are made to be more versatile and efficient in recent years, their components generate heat at a rate higher than ever so that how to cool them effectively and keep them operating properly provides a serious problem to be solved. A currently popular technique for solving this problem is the use of a fan arranged within the housing and designed to expel the heat from the housing. Further, the housing is provided with a large number of air intake holes for introducing fresh air into the housing from outside.
As described above, as the housing of a portable computer of the type under consideration is down-sized, the pack shaped device, the battery pack, connector covers and slot covers serve as part of the outer surface of the housing to a large proportion, thereby reducing the exposed surface area of the housing per se.
This means that the housing is provided with less space for arranging air intake holes for cooling the inside of the housing. At the same time, the inside of the housing is crowded by components so much that it is difficult to secure a sufficient air flow path within the housing. Thus, it is difficult to effectively cool the heat generating components within the housing.
Additionally, known portable computers of the type under consideration are not provided with means for cooling the pack shaped device that is removably mounted in the housing.